“Daily Current Affairs – 01/10/2017 to 06/10/2017”

National News:-

1. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Pratham-Shyok bridge in Leh:-

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Pratham-Shyok bridge that will link Leh to Karakoram, providing connectivity on the strategically important Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Olde axis for military transport.

The bridge is a major development on the Shyok Gong river which will enhance travel of locals as well as the Army in this strategic region.

It will increase travel and communication for strategic transport, the Minister said.

2. The third edition of ‘Women of India Organic Festival’:-

To celebrate and promote women entrepreneurs and farmers in the organic sector from across India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is hosting the 3rd annual ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ from October 1st to 15th, 2017, in New Delhi.

Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, inaugurated the festival in the presence of Shri Virendra Kumar, Minister of State, Ministry of Women and Child Development, on October 1 at Dilli Haat (INA).

With the theme ‘Good for Women; Good for India; Good for You’, the Ministry intends to highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provide a platform for women engaged in it and boost the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for women producers from the remotest corners of India.

3. India opens two border crossing points with Myanmar, Bangladesh:-

India has opened two immigration check posts along the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, a reflection of its growing closeness with the two eastern neighbours.

The home ministry said the central government has designated Zorinpui land check post in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram as an authorised immigration check post for entry into or exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers to or from Myanmar.

In a separate notification, the ministry said the central government designated Kawrpuichhuah land check post in Lunglei district of Mizoram as an authorised immigration check post for entry into or exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers to or from Bangladesh.

India shares a 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh which touches Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and West Bengal.

4. President Kovind inaugurates Shirdi Airport:-

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the swank new Shirdi Airport in Ahmednagar and the inaugural Alliance Air commercial flight to Mumbai.

The inauguration of the airport, developed by Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC), also marks the start of the year-long centenary celebrations of Shri Saibaba Samadhi for which over 11 million pilgrims are expected from around the world.

The small town in western Maharashtra is a world-famous pilgrim spot for the ‘samadhi’ temple of a 20th century saint, known as Saibaba, who is revered by all communities.

5. President of India appoints Governors:-

The President has been pleased to make the following appointments:-

Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.) as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

Shri Satya Pal Malik as the Governor of Bihar

Shri Banwarilal Purohit as the Governor of Tamil Nadu

Prof. Jagdish Mukhi as the Governor of Assam

Shri Ganga Prasad as the Governor of Meghalaya

Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor for Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

More than 35 lakh people of the state will be benefitted from this move.
Chauhan honoured the elderly who completed the age of 100 years with the “Shataayu” award.

7. MCI to give Unique Permanent Registration Number to all doctors:-

The Medical Council of India has written to the country’s largest body of doctors to help digitise India’s registry of doctors through a unique registration number similar to AADHAAR as part of its ongoing e-governance initiative.

The move is expected to help doctors practice in different States without seeking different licences across borders.

8. Government to celebrate Swachh Bharat Diwas on 2nd October:-

The third anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission will be celebrated as “Swachh Bharat Diwas” on 2nd October.

October 2 is also celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence. On June 15, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly had voted for this.

9. Bhopal set to become first state capital to get trans toilet:-

Over five months after the union government asked all states to allow transgender people to use any public toilet of their choice, Bhopal is set to become the first state capital to come up with an exclusive toilet for the transgender community.

It will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

In April this year, the union ministry of drinking water and sanitation had issued guidelines to state governments to put in efforts to make people from the transgender community feel as equal citizens.

10. Meenakshi temple wins swachh award:-

The Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai has been adjudged the cleanest iconic place in the country under Swachhta Hi Seva (cleanliness is service) programme.

The temple earned the top slot from among 10 iconic places selected under the Swachh Bharath Mission in the country.

Dedicated to Meenakshi, an incarnation of Parvati, and her consort Sundareswar, an incarnation of Shiva, the temple was adjudged the Best Swachh Iconic Place from a formidable list of contenders that included the Taj Mahal, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the Golden Temple, Tirupathi temple and Sri Vaishno Devi temple.

11. Thaawarchand Gehlot Flags off “WALKATHON” for Older Persons:-

To mark the ‘International day of Older Persons’ on 2nd October, more than 5000 participants gathered at India Gate for a noble cause to spread the message of caring and giving respect to older persons and senior citizens.

This year’s theme was “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society.

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment along with the Minister of State Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, took the pledge with other dignitaries and 5000 participants.

Then the “Walkathon” was flagged off by Shri Thawarchand Gehlot & MOS Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and they also took part in 1 km Walkathon with all the dignitaries.

12. Rajghat gets Mahatma Statue, for the first time:-

Rajghat, the Samadhi of the Father of the Nation in the national capital , has for the first time acquired a new feature that could appeal to the large number of visitors.

Vice-President of India Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a 1.80 metre tall bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of the 148 Birth Anniversary of the champion of country’s independence.

The statue, sculpted by the renowned Shri Ram Sutar is installed in the Parking Area of Rajghat Samadhi Complex at a cost of Rs.8.73 lakhs. It is mounted on a two feet high pedestal clad with granite.

The famous message of Gandhi ji “Be the Change You Wish to See” is inscribed on the front side of the pedestal. Installation of the Statue is a part of a large number of improvement works at Rajghat undertaken during the last three years.

13. President Appoints Commission to Examine Sub Categorization of OBC:-

The President on 02.10.2017, in exercise of the powers conferred by article 340 of the Constitution appointed a Commission to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes.

The composition of the Commission is as follows:

Chairperson -Justice (Retd.) G. Rohini.

Member -Dr. J.K. Bajaj.

Member(Ex-officio)-Director, Anthropological Survey of India.

Member (Ex-officio)-Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.

Secretary of the Commission-Joint Secretary, Department of SJ&E, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

14. Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 to be Held in Hyderabad:-

A high-level delegation from the Government of India and the United States met, at NITI Aayog to plan the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which will be held November 28-30 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad, India.

The Summit will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Advisor to the President, Ivanka Trump, who leads the U.S. delegation.

The GES is the preeminent annual gathering of emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from around the world.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Myanmar on upgradation of the Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar.

The MoU was signed on 6th September, 2017.

The MoU covers upgradation of the Yamethin Women’s Police Training Centre to further augment the capabilities of the Myanmar Government to build capacities of its police force with technical and financial assistance from Government of India.

19. High Level Committee for proper management of water resources in NER:-

The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of the water resources in the North Eastern Region (NER) under the Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog.

This is a sequel to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Guwahati in August this year to review the flood situation and relief work in the North Eastern States.

The Committee would facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydro-electric power, agriculture, bio-diversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) will serve as the coordinating point.

The Committee will submit its report, including Plan of Action, by June, 2018.

During the review of the flood situation with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister had announced constitution of a High-Level Committee for holistic management of water resources in the NER.

20. Turtle Sanctuary to be set up in Allahabad:-

In order to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures, development of a Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along with a River Biodiversity Park at Sangam have been approved under Namami Gange programme.

The project at an estimated cost of Rs 1.34 crore would include development of River Biodiversity Park at Sangam (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati), establishment of a Turtle Rearing Centre (Permanent nursery at Triveni Pushp and makeshift annual hatcheries) and awareness about the importance of river Ganga and imperativeness of its conservation has been approved.

This project will provide much needed platform to make the visitors aware of their place in the ecosystem, their roles and responsibilities, improve their understanding of the complexity of co-existence with the environment and help generate awareness for reducing the impact of human activities on critical natural resources.

21. Country’s first ITI for dibyangans in Dibrugarh:-

Foundation stone for the first ever Industrial Training Institute for the Dibyangans exclusively was laid at Dibrugarh ITI Complex at Borboruah, Dibrugarh by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

This is a one of a kind institute in the country in order to set up a new pathway for empowerment of the differently abled youth of the state.

International News:-

1. International Day of Older Persons: October 1:-

The International Day of Older Persons is observed on October 1 each year.

On December 14, 1990 the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons as recorded in Resolution 45/106.

The day was observed for the first time on October 1, 1991.

The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2017 is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society.”

2. UAE begins collecting ‘sin’ taxes on tobacco, energy drinks:-

The United Arab Emirates has begun collecting new “sin” taxes on tobacco products, energy drinks and soft drinks.

Tobacco and energy drinks will be taxed at 100 percent and soft drinks at 50 percent.

The new tax push comes as the UAE and other oil-rich Gulf nations have struggled with low global energy prices.

3. Nepal, India to conduct first joint tiger count:-

For the first time, Nepal and India will undertake a joint tiger census next month in their national parks, forests and protected areas.

Conservation authorities and experts would install cameras in various locations in tiger habitats as well as in buffer zones to capture and track the movements of the tiger.

Three American physicists have won the Nobel prize in physics for the first observations of gravitational waves.

Rainer Weiss has been awarded one half of the 9m Swedish kronor (£825,000) prize, announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

Kip Thorne and Barry Barish will share the other half of the prize.

All three scientists have played leading roles in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or Ligo, experiment, which in 2015 made the first historic observation of gravitational waves.

5. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017:-

The 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to three scientists for improving images made of biological molecules.

They developed a technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), which simplifies the process for looking at the machinery of life.

Prof Dubochet was born in Switzerland, Joachim Frank is German and Richard Henderson is from Edinburgh, UK.

Business News:–

1. RCom calls off merger deal with Aircel:-

Reliance Communications (RCom) has called off plans to merge its wireless business with rival Aircel, citing legal and regulatory uncertainties.

Had the merger gone through, it would have created India’s third-largest telecom provider with 175 million subscribers.

The proposed deal with Aircel signed last September.

2. Fitch lowers India’s growth forecast to 6.9%:-

Fitch Ratings has lowered India’s economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.9 per cent from 7.4 per cent after the GDP growth “unexpectedly faltered” in the April-June quarter.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) had last month slashed India’s GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7 per cent from 7.4 per cent owing to weakness in private consumption, manufacturing output and business investment.

India had posted a 7.1 per cent growth in 2016-17.

3. GIFT-IFSC ranks at 10th place in global financial centres index:-

India’s first IFSC has been featured at the tenth place in the latest September 2017 edition of Global Financial Centres Index 22 (GFCI) – London.

The Gandhinagar-based IFSC has ranked ahead of other leading financial hubs at Luxembourg, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Toronto and Beijing.

GIFT has been put in the same league as other top financial centres at New York and Hong Kong.

4. US ships first lot of crude to India:-

The first shipment of US crude oil to India arrived at Paradip Port in Odisha, as part of the two million barrels contracted by India.

The shipment follows recent commitments to US oil purchases by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), both of which have placed orders for over 2 million barrels from the US.

US crude oil shipments to India have the potential to boost bilateral trade by up to $2 billion.

5. AIIB, ADB approves $ 100 mn loan for India’s power sector:-

China-led AIIB and multilateral funding agency ADB will co-finance a USD 100-million loan for India to improve power transmission network and expand the use of solar and wind energy.

The loan, approved by the Board of Directors of the Beijing-headquartered Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), involves co-financing of USD 50 million from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB).

This was the fourth co-financing made by the AIIB and the ADB, two major multilateral development banks in Asia.

India is the second largest shareholder in the AIIB. The bank has an authorised capital of USD 100 billion.

6. RBI keeps repo rate, reverse repo rate unchanged:-

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate and reverse repo rate unchanged at 6 percent and 5.75 percent respectively.

Repo Rate: Unchanged at 6%

Revrese Repo Rate: Unchanged at 5.75%

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate: Unchanged at 6.25%

Bank Rate: Unchanged at 6.25%

Cash Reserve Ratio: Unchanged at 4%

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Changed by 50 basis points to 19.5%

7. Bangladesh Signs USD 4.5 Billion Loan Deal With India:-

Bangladesh signed a whopping USD 4.5 billion third line of credit (LoC) agreement with India for its infrastructure and social sector development.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his Bangladeshi counterpart A M A Muhith.

The new Indian line of credit, worth USD 4.5 billion, will be used to fund 17 major projects in Bangladesh, which include electricity, railroads, roads, shipping and ports.